Comcast Business Expands Fiber Optic Network in Chicago’s Back of the Yards and Bridgeport Neighborhoods

Expansion increases access to Ethernet, Internet, Voice and Cloud Services, helps accelerate growth of existing area businesses and attract new ones…

Comcast announced today that the company has added more than five miles of fiber optic network spanning Chicago’s Back of the Yards and Bridgeport neighborhoods, from South Halsted Street west to South Ashland Avenue and from 31^st Street south to 47^th Street.

This proactive infrastructure investment gives nearly 300 small- and medium-sized businesses in the area access to Internet speeds of up to 10 Gbps, along with a wide range of Comcast Business services, including Ethernet, Internet, Voice and value-added cloud services.  The investment Comcast is making in Back of the Yards, Bridgeport and other locations in the City of Chicago and suburbs is in response to strong demand for its Business offerings.  It also aligns with efforts many communities are making to expand their local telecommunications and information technology infrastructure.

“Comcast’s investment in Back of the Yards’ and Bridgeport’s technology infrastructure will help the two neighborhoods compete with other business corridors and other communities and ultimately could help create more jobs here,” said Chicago 11^th Ward Alderman Patrick D. Thompson. “We thank Comcast for recognizing our business community’s potential and making this investment in Back of the Yards and Bridgeport.”

“This unprecedented level of investment in our technology backbone will help Back of the Yards and Bridgeport appeal to new businesses that depend on high-speed, high-capacity data networks, and other advanced IT services,” said Craig Chico, president and CEO, Back of the Yards Neighborhood Council.

“The speed and consistency of the new Comcast service will help Ashland Cold Storage remain competitive in the Chicago market,” said Alex G. Olejniczak, executive vice president and general manager for Ashland Cold Storage and Rose Packaging.

“Comcast’s proactive builds and other efforts to expand our network and increase capacity have helped us reach more and more businesses,” said Jay Dirkmaat, regional vice president of Comcast Business. “Fiber means increased bandwidth – and increased bandwidth allows businesses to access more and more applications and services in the cloud, accommodate rapidly increasing numbers of employees in the field using mobile devices and exchange large amounts of data.”

Comcast’s Greater Chicago Region network includes about 11,000 miles of fiber.  In recent years, the company has proactively added fiber in downtown Chicago, as well as in business and industrial corridors and employment hubs, including Goose Island; the Peterson Pulaski Business and Industrial Park; near O’Hare and Midway airports; Interstate 88 in the west suburbs and Interstate 90 in the northwest suburbs; Morris, IL; and in Elgin and South Elgin, among others.

About Comcast Business

Comcast Business, a unit of Comcast Cable, provides advanced communication solutions to help organizations of all sizes meet their business objectives. Through a next-generation network that is backed by 24/7 technical support, Comcast delivers Business Internet, Ethernet, TV and a full portfolio of Voice services for cost-effective, simplified communications management. For more information, call (866) 429-3085. Follow Comcast Business on Twitter @ComcastBusiness and on other social media networks at http://business.comcast.com/social.

With nearly 7,000 local employees, Comcast’s Greater Chicago Region (chicago.comcast.com) serves customers in central and northern Illinois, including the Chicago area, northwest Indiana and southwest Michigan.  “Like” Comcast’s Greater Chicago Region on Facebook by visiting Comcast of Illinois, NW Indiana and SW Michigan.  “Follow” Comcast’s Greater Chicago Region on Twitter at @ComcastILLINOIS.